Windows 8 keyboard and swipe commands

Windows + Arrow Keys: Use this to place an
application window to the left/right of the screen and also to
maximize/minimize.

Windows + Shift + Arrow Keys: Maximize, restore and
move any window.

Windows Key + , (Comma): Aero Peek function.

Windows + Numeric Keys (1-0): The system will open
the corresponding program in the Taskbar. For example, Windows + 1
will open the first element presented in taskbar while Windows + 3
will open the third.

Windows + Shift + Numeric Keys (1-0): The
corresponding program in the taskbar opens in a new window.

Windows + B: Go back to desktop.

Windows + Pause/Break: Display System Properties
window.

Windows + E: Opens Windows Explorer, in the
Computer.

Windows + G: Runs gadgets from Desktop if you have
installed any.

Windows + M: Minimizes all windows.

Windows + Shift + M: Restores all minimized windows.

Windows + R: Opens the Run.

Windows + T: Preview Opened Windows in Taskbar.

Windows + Alt + Enter: Opens the Media Center.

Windows + U: Opens the Ease of Access Center

Windows + Q: Use this combination to find an
application.

Windows + W: To search directly into the system
settings.

Windows + F: Search directly into files.

Windows + O: Locking the orientation of the device.

Windows + Z: Open the App Bar. This is similar to
Taskbar showing all opened programs.

Directional Arrows: You can use them to explore the
Start screen tiles.

Windows + Print Screen: Capture a screenshot, saving
it in PNG format in the library.

Windows + Page Up or Page Down: Switch between
primary and secondary display.

Ctrl + Scroll Mouse Wheel: On Start screen –
increases or decreases the zoom. On the desktop – changes the size of
icons or letters.

Ctrl + Shift + N: Creates a new folder in the current
directory.

TOUCHSCREEN SWIPES

1. Swipe from the right (Charms menu)

When you pull your finger from the bezel on the right side of a
tablet to the left a little bit you bring up the Windows 8 “charms.”
These include the Search, Share, Devices, and Settings icons — as well
as a shortcut to the Start Screen.

2. Swipe from the left (Switch apps)

When you have multiple apps running you can slide your finger from
the left screen bezel to the right to switch between them. This is
sort of like the Modern UI version of Alt+Tab.

3. Swipe slowly from the left (Snap apps)

If you perform the same left-to-right action more slowly, instead of
switching from one full screen app to another you can drag one app out
and display it side-by-side with the app that was already on your screen.

One app will take up about a quarter of the display while the other
takes up three quarters. You can decide which app gets more room by
dragging the black bar in the center.

4. Swipe from left-and-back (Show running apps)

You can drag your finger from the left edge of the touchscreen and
then quickly drag it back to bring up a bar that shows thumbnail
images of all the apps that are currently running. Tap on any app to
switch to it, or tap the icon at the bottom to return to the Start Screen.

5. Pull down from the top (Close app)

You can close an app that’s currently running by starting at the top
bezel and pulling your finger about halfway down the screen. Imagine
you’re throwing the app in an invisible trash bin at the bottom.

6. Swipe down (Bring up additional menus)

While you can access app settings from the Charms menu, pulling down
from the top of the screen or up from the bottom can bring up
additional menu options. Just make sure to only drag your finger a
tiny bit — pulling too far from the top bezel can close an app (see above).

For instance, in Internet Explorer 10, pulling down a little from
the top brings up the tab menu showing a list of currently open
browser tabs as well as a new tab button. This also brings up the URL bar.

On the Windows Start Screen pulling down (or up) brings up an option
to view all the apps on your PC, not just those that are pinned to the
Start Screen.

7. Swipe down on an item (Select)

At the Start Screen, you can swipe downward on any tile to select it
and bring up additional options. For instance, you can resize a tile,
uninstall an app, un-pin an app from the Start Screen, or turn of the
“live tile” so that the shortcut is still on the Start Screen but the
app won’t display constantly updated information.

8. Pinch (Zoom)

Over the past few years pinching has become the de facto zoom
control on touch-based operating systems. Windows 8 is no different
and you can pinch to zoom in the Internet Explorer 10 web browser,
making text and images larger.

You can also zoom out of the Start screen, allowing you to quickly
move to another area if you have many apps installed.

9. Swipe left/right in Internet Explorer (Move back, forward)

When using Internet Explorer 10 in Metro mode, there are icons in
the URL menu bar for moving back to the previous page or forward to
the one you just left to go back.

But you can also perform these actions with touch-based gestures.
Just slide your finger from the left side of the screen to the right
to go back, or from right to left to go forward.

While most of the gestures listed above require you to start from
the screen bezel, moving forward or back in IE10 only works if you
don’t start from the bezel. That’s because you don’t want to
switch applications or bring up the Charms menu. So you just touch the
web page you’re looking at and swipe left or right.

TAX NEWS

President Barack Obama signed legislation that retroactively extended more than 50 expired tax provisions for 2014, allowing taxpayers to take advantage of a host of tax incentives during this filing season.

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